Chicken Chile Verde and Versatile Blogger Award

Yesterday I got the best message from Chandra from The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen telling me that she has honored me with the versatile blogger award! I was so excited, I have only been blogging for a few months and getting recognition like this makes it even more fun.  Also, you should head over to Chandra's blog The Plaid and Paisley Kitchen She has fantastic recipes, today she has a New Mexican Corn Chowder that looks amazing!!!

Here is how the award works, I pass it along to 15 bloggers who I think are amazing and tell 7 facts about myself. So, here goes! 

The 7 Random Facts

1. Waking up early (before 10am... What don't judge!) is like pulling teeth, I don't like it and I avoid it at all cost! 

2. I got married in July to my best friend.  

3. I go to at least 5 hockey games a week, that's not counting the games we watch on TV! 

4. I prefer to eat dessert for breakfast, today was chocolate cake. 

5. I take Stella (my dog) with me everywhere I go, she even has a passport and will be traveling to the States with me in December.  

6. I secretly love it when people are not aware that I can understand Swedish because I love to eavesdrop...

7. Last but not least... I am pregnant! 

The Versatile Blogger award!!!

1. Cravings of a Lunatic
2. Eat Yourself Skinny
3. The South Padre Island Flip Flop Foodie
4. Flourtrader
5. Just One Cookbook
6. Spicie Foodie
7. Sweet Pea's Kitchen
8. Dinner, Dishes, and Desserts
9. Paper Plates and China
10. From My Sweet Heart
11. Life on Food
12. All Day I Dream About Food
13. Splendid Low-Carbing
14. PromiseMe2
15. My Life as a Mrs.

It is starting to get cold and I am having bittersweet feelings about it. I am not looking forward to the long dark (Here in Sweden it is the same as Alaska… DARK) winter, but I am getting very excited about making soups! Here is my tribute to it being just cold enough to have soup for dinner tonight.  I can’t think of a better soup to kick off the soup season! 

Chicken Chile Verde

Ingredients

1                      Chopped Onion

1                      Chopped Green bell pepper

1                      Chopped Red bell pepper

2                      Minced cloves of garlic

¼ Cup               Cilantro chopped

1 Can                Green Chiles (I used 2)

1 Tbsp               Cumin

2 Cups               Chicken broth

3-4                    Shredded chicken breasts

1 Cup                Salsa Verde (its green)

2 Cans               Refried beans

Directions

1. Sautee the onion, peppers, and garlic in a little butter until soft. 

2. Add the cilantro, green chiles, cumin, broth, chicken, salsa Verde, and refried beans. Stir to combine.

3. Put the pot into the oven and bake at 350°F/177°C for 45 minutes.

4. Garnish with Cheese, cilantro, and a lime. Serve with a warm tortilla. Enjoy!

Source: My Mamma  

Tiramisu

This week has been so busy! I swear, Rikard and I have run from one thing to the other. I am so excited for the weekend I can barely stand it… I have reverted back to my school days where I want to pretend I am sick so Rikard won’t make me go! I know I know I am a nerd but sometimes I just don’t want to get up and go to school. I just want to lay in bed all day and watch cartoons! Ok that was a little farfetched but you get the picture. 

Last week Rikard was in Russia all week so I wanted to make him a special dinner when he got home. One of my all time favorite desserts is Tiramisu, but I have never had the courage to make it. Now that I think about that I was being so silly because it was so darn easy and honestly it was fantastic!

Also this hits way to close to home… I wanted to say all the family and friends of the people killed in the plane crash in Russia, you are in my thoughts and prayers. It truly breaks my heart for the wives, children, and family of the players, coaches and the crew.  Hockey will not be the same without those amazing people! HERE is the list of all the people that were on board the plane. 

Tiramisu

Ingredients

6                      Egg yolks

1 ¼ Cup           Sugar

1 ¼ Cup           Mascarpone cheese

2 Cups              Whipping cream

2 (12 oz.)          Packages of lady fingers

½ Cup               Coffee flavored liquor

1 Tbsp               Cocoa powder

Directions

1. Combine egg yolks and sugar in a double boiler on low. Stirring constantly for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whip the yolk/sugar mixture until thick and yellow.

2. Whip the cream in a separate bowl.

3. Add the mascarpone cheese to the yolks and beat until combined it takes about 10 minutes (it makes it really fluffy)

4. Fold in the whipped cream and set aside.

5. Cut the lady fingers in half and line the bottom and sides of a large glass bowl. Brush them with the coffee liquor. (The more the better!)

6. Layer half of the cheese mixture on top of the lady fingers, then another layer of lady fingers brushed with coffee liquor, top with the remanding cheese mixture.

7. Sift cocoa powder on top and refrigerate overnight. ENJOY! 

Source: Allrecipes

Fast & Delicious Chicken Marinade

I started school last Monday…. Wow, that is weird to say! Rikard has been begging me to go to school and learn Swedish the right way for over a year now. So I finally bit the bullet and started.  So within the next 6 months I will be fluent in Swedish, 3 hours a day is a bit much for my liking though. 

With me being in school most of the day (ok ok 3 hours, but it takes a long time driving and getting ready!) I have been looking for recipes that I can throw together before I leave for school in the morning.  I am also getting a little worried that summer is leaving me… and fast. So I want everything cooked on the BBQ!  This marinade is so simple and I always have the ingredients in the house.  I get creative most the time and just start dumping different spices into it, but it always turns out great.  

Delicious Chicken Marinade

Ingredients

¼ Cup               White wine vinegar (or balsamic)

¼ Cup               Olive oil

½ tsp                Chili powder

1 or 2                crushed bay leaves

½ tsp                Onion powder

½ tsp                Garlic Powder

½ tsp                Pepper

½ tsp                Oregano

½ tsp                dried basil

½ tsp                Red pepper flakes (optional)

4                      Chicken breasts

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a resealable bag. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, but best is over night.

2. I also have put them in the freezer so all I have to do is thaw them out. The flavor is amazing!

3. Grill on the BBQ or in a skillet. Enjoy!

Chocolate Covered Toasted Coconut Caramels

I have been on a huge caramel kick the last month… HUGE! I have been making anything and everything with caramel in it. These were especially fun to make because Rikard was so excited to help make them. It’s amazing how much easier things like this are when you have someone helping you. 

Chocolate Covered Toasted Coconut Caramels

Ingredients

½ Cup               Butter

½ Cup               Light corn Syrup

½ Cup               Light brown sugar

½ Cup               White sugar

½ Cup               sweetened condensed milk

1 tsp                 Vanilla

3 Cups               Shredded coconut

2                      Large bars of milk chocolate

Directions

1. Put the coconut in a glass microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 3-5 minutes stirring every 30 seconds until toasted. 

2. Melt butter. Mix in the corn syrup, brown sugar, white sugar, and sweetened condensed milk. Microwave on high for 3 ½ minutes. Stir. Microwave for an additional 3 ½ minutes (soft ball stage). Add Vanilla

3. Stir toasted coconut into the caramel and pour into a buttered dish. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

4. Microwave chocolate stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.

5. Make bite size balls of the coconut caramel (I used a melon scoop). Dip into chocolate. Cool on wax paper. Sprinkle with a little coconut.

I prefer to keep them in the fridge… You might need to put a lock on the fridge to keep these bad boys for disappearing! Enjoy.